Just Stay
by starfiction123
Summary: His presence was the perfect present. (One-shot present for Valentine's day)


**A/N:** **Oh yeah! That's right! Ya'll should have known this was coming in honor of Valentine's Day! (Even though it's belated now...) I actually just got this idea today at work as I was drawing Jemily pictures…again…Consider this my present to all you Revenger and Jemily fans that have been sticking in there for the beloved yet sadly underrated endgame couple of the show. Hope ya'll like it! Please let me know what you think! This actually took some time to write in one pop lol. And of course, my other stories are on board as well! Updates are coming soon so stick around! Long live Jemily!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own Revenge. Mike Kelley and abc studios do and they need to hurry up and do Nolan's saga.**

* * *

Amanda woke up in a cold sweat, struggling to catch her breath as her heartbeat raced at outmatched speeds. Once she was able to finally calm down, she then had to deal with the short spell of vertigo as a consequence from her body shooting up so abruptly.

It was an annoying process really…

She's been through this before…

It was that damn dream again…

But for some reason, this one was worse than her usual recurring nightmare.

Her hazy chestnut gaze started to clear as it captured the current surroundings of the dark yet cozy bedroom. She heard the crackling of thunder along with the pattering sounds of continuous rain; the sheer light colored curtains blowing slightly from her French windows due to the vicious gust of wind that made the latch of the windows open slightly.

A thunderstorm.

Lovely.

Just what she needed to add to the moment's ambience…

Even now she could still hear that damn woman's dreadful voice that oozed with charm, dripping like honey yet filled with scorn as it tortured her continuously with jeers and jabs of how their hearts were one.

How they were one...

How she did not deserve the life she now had...

How it was all a phase soon to crumble into ashes…

She shook her head vigorously of the tormenting thoughts that lingered.

She then felt the chill of the storm's unforgiving breeze and pulled the covers closer to her bare body as her eyes shifted to the various furniture that decorated the master chamber; its presence clarifying that she was back in reality, along with the scattered articles of clothing that littered the floor.

The corner of her lips shifted upwards slightly as her memory recollected recent events.

She turned her head to her nightstand with the vase of beautiful wildflowers with a heart shaped balloon attached on top of the table. Her eyes softened at its simple beauty and brightened as she remembered how her husband presented them to her.

" _Oh that's right, it was Valentine's Day earlier…"_

She then looked over her shoulder to see her husband face down in their pillows, sleeping peacefully as his light snoring was drowned out by the sound of the insistent thunder. She noticed the chill bumps on Jack's skin as he shivered slightly and immediately remedied the situation by covering his exposed form with their comforter.

She smiled lightly, as he nestled into the sudden warmth, snoring louder.

She couldn't help but envy his tranquility.

She knew that after the nightmare she had, her restlessness and insomnia would be evident.

Being careful not to make any excessive movements that would disturb her husband's slumber, she shifted herself to the end of the bed and sat on the edge of the corner, wrapping the end of their comforter around her body and gazing out the window to watch the lightning illuminate the dreary sky.

And to think, the day had started out so beautifully…

Even though the weather wasn't so pretty…

* * *

On normal occurrences, she and Jack would awake to find little three year old Carl Porter huddled desperately in between them, embracing the security he felt with his father and stepmother and escaping the terror that came with the thunderstorms that sent him running straight for their room at night. Their little puppy would also find comfort in their presence and slept at the foot of the bed. However, such a day was not the case since it was time for him and the puppy to enjoy a weekend at Grandma's, leaving her and Jack to have their own little fun for the weekend.

Especially since Valentine's Day was fast approaching.

Of course Amanda was no stranger to the wooing experience. She had her fair share of experience in being spoiled, pampered, pleasured, wined, and dined many times in her life; especially when she was once known as Emily Thorne. Expensive gifts, dates, jewelry, cards, scenery, flowers, chocolates, and words of adoration are all things that make every girl feel cherished by a lover and fits the cliché for the holiday of love.

But such materialistic things to her were fleeting…

Instead, it was the simple heart shaped blueberry pancakes on her breakfast plate along with the fair sized vase of wildflowers and mini balloon attached he presented to her, the humorous toast of their coffee cups, their competitive morning jog around the park, their simple lunch picnic on the deck of their boat, the feel of his arm around her as they nearly fell asleep at the overly cheesy movie selection they picked to watch in their time of leisure, their petty argument on wanting to make each other dinner only to end up doing it together, and watching the flames dance in their fireplace as the night grew colder that set her heart aflame.

Which in turn led them into a night of uninterrupted endless passion.

* * *

Everything was perfect.

Until this very moment…

She sighed with bitterness as the flashbacks of her nightmares started to overshadow the memories of romantic bliss she felt earlier; unaware of the man behind her who began to stir as he reached over to embrace another type of warmth that the covers failed to give him, only to find the source of that desired warmth absent from her side of the bed. Jack cracked a lazy eye open in confusion and blinked both eyes open once he realized his wife was not present. He nearly jumped up and scanned his side of the room until his eyes fell on the figure sitting at the edge of the bed, her voluptuous curves and creamy exposed skin barely hidden underneath the thick comforter as she sat unmoving, staring out the window.

He frowned instantly.

Usually any sudden movements would be enough to alert her of his presence before even getting her attention. However, she remained as a statue as a few golden strands of her hair blew from the storm's gust of wind that seeped through their window.

Her obliviousness and occupied focus that kept her from noticing anything else could only mean one thing…

She had that dream again.

This one must have been a doozy.

She didn't even stir as he shifted himself closer to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

She wasn't startled, nor did she say anything. But he noticed how she broke out of her daze to acknowledge his presence with a small shed of happiness that lit up and broke through her perturbed gaze. Her face then softened, as if trying to force the uneasiness away and replace it with an artificial civil look that would immediately divert away from the problem at hand as she would open up her mouth to apologize for waking him and ensure that she was alright when he would ask.

He didn't give her that chance.

His growing stubble brushed against her cheek as he breathed lightly against her skin in a sympathetic sigh.

"…You had that nightmare again didn't you?"

His voice though quiet in volume was husky from sleep, concerned yet serious in tone, and permeated with empathy and affection.

It was enough to prevent her from making any bull excuse and instead pierced through her defensive shell, beckoning her to be honest with him.

He could tell she heeded his call with the deep exhale he felt escape her chest and the tiny nod of her head.

It was his turn to sigh; not out of annoyance for what he knew would be yet another sleepless night for her, but out of sympathy for what she had to endure due to the consequences of trauma from the long fight that lasted more than just four years straight for her. He sighed, pushing down the burning hatred he felt towards Victoria Grayson, the main perpetrator for her torment, and for the despicable feeling of helplessness he felt as he longed to fix everything in the blink of an eye and erase all of his beloved's pain. If he could, he would. He was her husband. It was his job to protect her. It was more than an obligation, more than a promise, it was his purpose.

And he felt like he was failing...

His grip against her chest tightened slightly in an embrace, as he ran his hands down her arms slowly and buried his face into her neck, her golden tendrils tickling his nose.

"What can I do?"

He asked her attentively, desperate to be the aid and source of comfort to her hidden disturbance. But she was not deaf to the sound of his broken whisper. It was a pleading cry to fix everything…to do something…anything to take the pain away.

If only she had the answer. Because frankly, she was asking herself the same question…

And though she was once someone who could instantly come up with solutions to fix problems, to manipulate outcomes, to conceal emotions that would only serve as obstacles to objectives…

She didn't know what to do either.

She reached for his hand, running her fingers over his tenderly, joining their hands together and gazing down at their golden rings as they glimmered in the light of the sudden flash of lightning that irradiated the dark room from outside.

In the dream, she was ridiculed for wearing that ring…

In the dream, she was bombarded with so many reasons of why she was unworthy of that ring…Why she was unworthy of the man who placed it on her finger in the year before…

In the dream, she was reminded of everything she had done to that man…all that he suffered…all suffering she caused…how she would not be enough for him…What she couldn't give him…

In the dream, she was tormented…being told that she was destined and deserved to be alone just like Victoria…the one she now shared a heart with…

But it was just a dream.

And she was never one to listen to Victoria of all people…

But that didn't dull the pain that pierced her, buried her, and adorned her like a dress of thorns…

So grasping tighter to her husband's hand, transferring all the hope, strength, desire, pain, love, and emotion to him through her grip, she sighed shakily before answering his inquiry; her voice airy and calm, yet desperate in her plead…

"Just be here…"

She turned her head slightly to meet his eyes, not noticing that hers stung with tears that she dared not let fall.

"Please be here with me…Just stay with me…"

As her naked shoulders began to shake slightly, she suddenly felt her chin being lifted up until her chocolate colored eyes came in contact with his cerulean colored ones that shone through the darkness like beacons in the night as he brought his face closer to hers to where their foreheads touched, and they could feel each other's breath.

"I'm not going anywhere."

His voice, though still light, was firm and unwavering. It sounded like a needed comfort, but it wasn't just that, nor was it a simple, compassionate condolence.

It was a decree.

It was a fact.

It was a vow.

He emphasized his point by bringing her wrist up to his mouth in a lingering kiss, his eyes never leaving hers as his lips encased the double-infinity symbol that was imprinted on her skin, honoring its meaning. Her once impassive expression disintegrated as a smile of love and appreciation graced her lips and she nudged her nose against his sweetly in thanks. Burrowing herself into his skin as they held each other closer, she started to feel the validity of her dreams' torture vanish as she embraced the safety and infinite love that she and her husband shared.

Despite her state of a restored peaceful mind, she was not ready to move away just yet. And she could tell by the way Jack's gentle stokes and touches lingered on her skin that he wasn't either. So the couple remained that way in each other's arms, and blended in each other's comforting warmth for the rest of the night.

It was funny really…

She knew that Jack was contemplating what to get her for their first Valentine's Day as a married couple for weeks now; feeling a little inadequate since he figured she'd already experienced every romantic date and gift that could ever be bestowed upon a woman…

But if only he knew that just his presence was enough.

In fact, it was the best gift that she could have ever received not just for Valentine's Day…but for every infinite day to come.


End file.
